Hunting the Wolf Part 2
by treblegnome
Summary: The Hound has found his wolf but what will he do with her now?


Sandor lifted Sansa by the waist up onto his horse's back. He mounted and sat behind her to ride. To reach the reins, he had to put his arms around her. Sansa didn't complain. She enjoyed the sensation of his arms around her. Some part of her was tempted to lean back and rest her body on his chest but she resisted doing so. They seemed to be heading north. She didn't ask where they were going, she didn't really care as long as he was with her. As nightfall came, Sandor took the horse off the road and dismounted, giving Sansa a hand down.

"We'll make camp here." He said.

They ate a dinner of bread and smoked meat which Sansa had brought with her. The air was cold but all attempts to make a fire failed as the wind was swift and sharp. They lay down to sleep several feet away from each other. There was no snow on the ground yet and the grass was dry and soft. Sansa struggled to keep warm under the wool blanket that covered her. She didn't once complain, but she couldn't hide her shivering no matter how much she tried. Unable to allow her to remain cold, the Hound got up from the spot where he lay and gave her his blanket on top of her own.

"No. You'll freeze." She protested.

"I'll be fine." He shrugged, laying down on the bare ground.

Sansa got up and carried both blankets with her, tossing them both onto him. He was about to protest but his words didn't come out as he realized what she was doing. Sansa lay down on the ground beside him and slid underneath the two blankets so that they could share them and both keep warm. She faced away from him, her back to him, but still her body was quite close, absorbing his warmth. Without warning, his arm was around her pulling her closer.

"What do you think you're doing girl?" He whispered in her ear. "Don't tempt me."

To his surprise, Sansa leaned even closer and managed to turn onto her other side and face him. She looked into his eyes before answering. "Why not?"

The question took him off guard and the Hound didn't have a ready answer. Before he could say anything Sansa had covered his lips with her own. Her kiss was unexpected but not at all unwelcome. He embraced her again and kissed her back. He had wanted her for so long...but some part of him wondered what in seven hells he was doing, and what was she thinking, kissing him like this? He forced himself to pull away.

"What did you do that for?" He demanded.

Sansa looked at him without fear. "Because I wanted to."

His eyes softened but he didn't move. She didn't try to kiss him again. Instead she simply snuggled closer to him, putting one arm around him, and closed her eyes to sleep.

The following day they continued their journey north. After several hours had passed in silence Sandor finally spoke.

"You haven't asked where we're going."

"That's because I don't care where we're going." Sansa answered.

"You should care. Or has Littlefinger been so cruel that you no longer care for anything?"

"Littlefinger was a very different kind of cruel than Joffrey. He is manipulative, deceitful, and he forced himself on me more than once...then he planned to have me married off to some lord. I don't want to marry some lord...I want..." Sansa stopped talking, unsure of how to go on. The Hound didn't press her to continue. He was too angry about her revelation about what Littlefinger had done to her. He did stop the horse though, and helped her down from his back.

"I'm hungry." He said.

They sat on the ground and ate more bread and smoked meat. There was stream nearby where they got water to drink. "Where do you want to go?" Sandor asked her as he ate.

"I told you...I don't care..."

"If you truly care so little, you could have stayed where you were."

"No. I couldn't have stayed there because...because you weren't there."

The Hound dropped his bread as his eyes met hers. "Little bird I...why..what do you want from me?"

"I thought I wanted a prince or a knight...then after father...all I wanted was to go home... I have no home anymore, I have no family to go take shelter with, and I don't want to be married off to some lord who only wants Winterfell...I only want to stay with you. There's no one else I can trust."

"Trust! I seem to remember holding a knife to your throat to make you sing."

Sansa nodded. "I remember." Though she wished it had happened the way she'd imagined it so many times. "But you'd had too much wine. The good you have done for me outweighs the bad."

"Do you have any idea what I was planning to do to you that night?" He growled.

"Yes...better you than Littlefinger..." She said quietly, a few tears spilling out.

The Hound stood, staring at her in disbelief. She stood as well, moving closer to him. "Why did you come for me?" Sansa asked him gently.

"I came because you asked me to, little bird. I thought to take you north to Jon Snow. You don't want to stay with me. I am a dog and a killer. I'll kill those who get in the way of taking you to safety but you don't want to stay with me for long." He growled.

"Jon won't want me to stay for long either. There's no place for a woman on the wall. He'll find someone for me to marry...some lord of the north and be rid of me...tell me I'm wrong." She told him less gently than before.

"Aye, he will want to see you married. But he would find you someone kind, not a Joffrey or an Imp." The Hound admitted.

"I don't want someone kind and I don't want to marry some political ally to secure the north. I want...I want..." Sansa didn't have the words to tell him what she wanted. She took a step closer to him and put her arms around his neck. He moved willingly when she pulled his head closer to hers and the kiss was long and passionate. His arms were soon around her, pulling her body closer to his. She could feel from the closeness how much he wanted her but suddenly he was pushing her away. He held her at arms length, staring into her eyes with a look she couldn't interpret.

"I have nothing to give you little bird. No castle, no lands, no fine clothes..."

"Then we live among the wildlings and wear furs."

"You can't mean that little bird."

"I do mean it. All I want is to be with you."

"Why me? This ugly face...you're the heir to Winterfell and a beautiful woman too. You could have any man you wanted..."

"Do you want to be lord of Winterfell?" She asked him.

"You know I don't care for titles or lands!" He grumbled.

"That is why I want to be with you. Anyone else would marry me for my claim or rape me for being desireable...you have only been good to me...I love you for that."

He stared at her for a moment longer before pulling her back into his arms and resuming the kiss. He didn't kiss her for long. Moments later he picked her up and put her back on the horse.

"What are you doing?" She protested, confused.

"Finding a Septon before I dishonor you."

Sansa bit her lip, smiling. The hound mounted the horse and headed in the direction of the nearest village. It was a little difficult to convince the Septon that the marriage was mutual. Sansa had to kiss Sandor right there in front of the septon to prove her willingness. The kiss was sensual and convincing so he agreed to perform the ceremony. They rode away and reached an appropriate campsite just as night fell. They were happier under those blankets in the grass than they had ever been before. It was there that Sandor told her he loved her and always had.

By the time they reached the wall, news had already spread that Sansa Stark had married the Hound. The Septon had told anyone who would listen the story of how the lovely lady had thrown herself willingly at the ugly brute of a man. Those few who had known the details of Sansa's captivity in King's Landing, could understand her attachment to the man.

They continued north. Sansa still wanted to see Jon Snow and Sandor couldn't refuse her request. On reaching Castle Black, they were escorted directly to the Lord Commander's rooms. One look at her brother and Sansa ran across the room to hug him. He seemed surprised at her happiness to see him but hugged her in return.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, Jon.." She wept.

"For what?" He stepped back to look at her.

"For the way I treated you at Winterfell. The awful things I said..." Sansa was choking up.

"We were children Sansa. It's forgiven." Jon glanced at the large burned man standing near the door. "You must be the Hound, Clegane."

"Aye, I was the Hound. Now it's just Clegane." He said gruffly.

Jon glanced back at Sansa. "The word is that you married him. Is it true?"

"It is." She nodded, hoping the news wouldn't make him angry.

"He served the Lannisters. Did they arrange this?" Jon's tone was controlled, holding back his anger.

"No, he left their service. I wanted this marriage." She told him.

Jon gave her a strange questioning look, then another at the Hound. Though he did not understand it, he accepted it. He sent for food and soon they were having a reunion feast in his room, or as much of a feast as they could on their limited rations. The night grew dark and late, Sansa became sleepy.

"You should sleep, little bird." Sandor told her, his arm around her. She only nodded in response. Standing, Sandor picked her up from the chair and carried her across the room, laying her down gently on Jon's bed. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before returning to the table. Jon was touched by this display and felt his worries about Sansa's marriage lessen considerably.

"How did it happen?" Jon asked, pouring them both more wine. "How did the two of you come to marry?"

"Do you know about what happened to her in King's Landing? Or in the Vale?"

Jon shook his head. "Not much of it. I know she was betrothed to Joffrey, then married to Tyrion but that was annulled I suppose."

Sandor took a large gulp of wine. "The little shit prince took pleasure in tormenting her. She was there when they killed your father. She saw him lose his head. Then later Joffrey brought her out and made her look at his head on a spike. She tried to defy him and he ordered his guards to hit her. There was nothing I could do except give her some damn cloth to wipe the blood off her face."

Jon glanced back at his sleeping sister, wondering what other horrors she had suffered.

"That wasn't the end of it." Sandor went on. "Joffrey had her beaten hard and often. He once had her stripped naked in front of the whole court and beat bloody with the flat of a sword. The Imp stopped him that time and I gave her my cloak to cover herself. I suppose that is where it began..."

"If I had known..." Jon started to say unconsciously making a fist.

"If you had known it wouldn't have mattered. You'd have gotten yourself killed trying to stop him, just as I would have. No, she didn't need anyone else getting killed..." He took another swig of wine.

Jon looked down for a moment. "The Kingsguard, they just...?" He left the question unfinished.

"They did. Every one of them. Joffrey never asked me save once, I didn't obey and he never asked again."

The two sat in silence for a while. "Tell me the rest." Jon finally said, almost not wanting to know.

"There was a riot for bread, the crowd nearly raped her. I don't know how I got back to her in time but I killed those that had her...then at the Battle of Blackwater there was so much wildfire...I fled..I don't much like fire...I tried to take her with me to Winterfell but she wouldn't go. She thought it was some trick of Joffrey's...after that I saw your sister Arya. I meant to bring her to Robb but the Red Wedding took him before I could...there was a fight at an Inn and Arya left me for dead...I recovered on the Quiet Isle with Septons...then there was a rumor that Sansa was in the Vale, that Lord Baelish had her...He was not kind to her either, forced himself on her while he had her...I took her from the Vale meaning to bring her to you...but she had other plans for me..."

"Did Sansa propose to you?" Jon grinned, hardly able to imagine his lady sister doing something so unladylike.

"No, but she did kiss me." He laughed.

"And what of Arya? Could she still be alive?"

Sandor nodded. "I'd be surprised if she wasn't. She knew how to handle a sword and how to take care of herself. I heard she went to Bravos."

Sansa stirred on the bed behind Jon. She was shivering, still asleep. Sandor got up from the table and covered her with his own fur cloak while Jon added more logs to the fireplace.

"Where will you two live?" Jon asked, still watching Sansa sleep.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Not yet."

Jon turned to face the large man. "Promise me that you won't hurt her, not ever."

"Aye. I couldn't hurt her."

More silence followed, then Jon spoke. "You could take a cottage on the Gift." He spoke of the tract of land just south of the wall, it belonged to the Night's Watch, a gift from the Starks hundreds of years before.

Sandor nodded. "That would do unless Littlefinger or the Lannisters look for her."

"If they do, then come take refuge on the wall. It won't be far."

Late in the night Sansa awoke in Jon's bed. She turned and looked for Sandor but instead found Jon waking next to her. His presence didn't alarm her but her husband's absence did.

"Jon, where is Sandor?" She whispered.

"On the floor next to you." He replied. "He didn't think it fitting to deprive the Lord Commander of his bed or to take you out into the cold hallway to a different room." Jon grinned. "I am glad to see that he is so good to you Sansa."

"He is good to me. I am glad you approve." She turned back over to go back to sleep, then thought the better of it. "Jon?"

"Yes?"

"Are you happy here?"

He sat up, the question had been unexpected. Since when did Sansa care about his happiness? She turned onto her back to look at him.

"Are you?" She asked again.

"I suppose so. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're my brother... the only living family I have been able to find...your happiness matters to me..."

Jon stared at her. "Father sent me to the wall to be rid of me, to keep me away from your lady mother. This is no honorable brotherhood. Many of the men here are criminals and cowards. I will never marry or have my own family...but I am well fed and safe here...I shouldn't complain."

Sansa was crying. She didn't question the reality of what the night's watch was. She knew now that knights were not honorable and what it meant to be lonely. "You are the lord commander. Perhaps you could change the rules."

His eyes narrowed. "Change them how?"

"I would think more men would join the Night's watch of their own free will if they could take wives and live on the gift. They could come to the wall and work in shifts of a week or two at once, then return home again...honorable men would come and they would fight even harder knowing their families safety depended on it...you could marry too." She suggested.

Jon looked at her in amazement. "Are you worried that I'm lonely?"

"I am." Sansa admitted."I would be lonely in a castle full of women..."

He grinned. "It isn't such a bad idea. I will think on it...but don't worry about me. I am just happy to have my sister back for now."

Impulsively, Sansa hugged him. She didn't let go but held onto him until they were both asleep. Sandor found them still hugging when he woke up in the morning. The sight didn't bother him. He knew how much Sansa had missed her family. Sometimes he wished he could hug his own sister again but that was never to be. He let them have their hug and went to the table to eat some of the bread and wine left from supper. He knew that after this, he wouldn't have to worry about Sansa anymore.


End file.
